David by Marisa Redhead16 (100 best novels of all time TXT) 📕

I caught up with him after class.

"I need to talk to you for a second," I told him.

"I have nothing to say to you," he replied.

"We need to. I'm really sorry, especially after what happened this weekend. I'm really-"

"Get away from me. No one cares about me anymore." he walked away, rubbing his eyes.

I grabbed David at lunch. "Did you break up with Chester?" I asked.

"I did." he said, and I noticed that he'd kept his natural accent.

"What for?"

"For you. I told you, I'd do anything for you. Literally, I would die for you." he said. We were now sitting at a table in a private corner.

"Get back with him. He hates me now. He thinks no one likes or cares about him. He's depressed, and I think he's drinking something illegal."

"Here at school?"

"Yes. That yellow water? It has alcohol in it. I've noticed his speech is slurring a bit, and he looks more miserable than usual."

"Tobias, I don't care about Chester. I care about you. I love you." he said, touching my hand. I pulled it away. He looked hurt.

"So you'v made your decision?"

"Yes. Chester needs you more than I do." I told him. David looked down, looking hurt.

"Fine. I'll talk to him again."

"What did you tell him, anyway?"

"I told him that I'd asked you to make a decision. If you wanted to go out with me again, I'd break up with him. If you didn't, I'd stay with him."

"David Berkinschiemer, you are a moron beyond belief. He's not going to go back to you." I told him.

"We'll see about that."

I was in the library, when I heard the news.

"Did you hear? Chester Chesterfield got arrested!" some girl said.

"Huh? You probably have the wrong guy. I wouldn't be surprised if say, David Berkinschiemer got arrested, but Chester? He's too nice."

"Maureen overheard someone say he was drinking alcohol to David, and she told the principal."

Oh, crap. What have I done?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

After school, I walked home. Mom was putting groceries away as I arrived.

"How come you didn't ride with Tony?" she asked.

"Things are awkward between us right now. But that's not important. I saw that Chester Chesterfield was drinking alcohol at school, I told David, and now Chester's in jail and possibly expelled because Maureen overheard me."

"Your blonde friend?"

"She's not my friend anymore, but yes."

"All right, I'll make some calls."

"Thank you."

Tony was snacking on something when I turned.

"Chester Chesterfield in jail? Wow. That's something I'd expect from your idiotic ex-boyfriend, butChester Chesterfield? The most boring gay guy in school besides you?"

"Not funny. And he's really interesting." I argued.

"You three are lucky our school is so laid back and cool. Of course there's more gay people in school than just you three, but you three especially. There is so much drama between you guys right now."

"Do you know the root cause?" I asked in a sarcastic voice.

"Yes, I do. David is a fucking moron and an effing player. He's bad news. He's poison."

"I realize that now."

"And you know he's the one who told. Maureen told me in Stupid Science. She said he's a blabbermouth."

"You're lying. He would never!"

"And you are fooling yourself. I know Maureen is not the best source of valid information, but Stacy Hoff confirmed what she said. Stacy said David told her everything when they paired up for a project."

Stacy Hoff is a huge wannabe-that-will-never-be towards Maureen and her group. Frustrated, I walked upstairs. No way David would tell. Would he?

________________________________________________________________________________________

Fast forward to the next day: I am walking to my ethnic studies class, when I hear David talking to someone.

"Tobias told me. Tobias Grass. I still can't believe he fell for my act. He's a great kisser, I'll give him that. But he falls way too hard way too fast."

Hurt, I pretended to be sick, I actually did throw up, which I may or may not have provoked, and the nurse called my mother.

When I got home, I went to bed and laid there for two hours before calling David.

"Tobias, I'm in the bathroom. What's going on?"

"Um..." I couldn't think of anything. "I'm home."

"I figured you were. I haven't seen you since this morning. Why did you walk to school? It's too far."

"I didn't want to...things are awkward between Tony and I and you. Why did you fight him the other day?"

"He called me out on something."

"Like your plan?" A pause.

"Tobias, what are you talking about?"

"I heard you this morning."

"Let me explain..."

"You've done enough explaining. Don't speak to me ever again!"

"You called me, remember?"

"You told on Chester!"

"I didn't tell on Chester! Maureen did!" Then he hung up. I tried calling him and texting him a few more times, but no luck.

 Okay, so I deserved it. I should not have judged him.

"The rules have changed. It's not just about upping her reputation anymore, it's about keeping ours." Tony said into his cell phone. I knew he was talking about Maureen. Her clique was almost formed. She needed one more piece, namely me.

As for me, that whole thing was stupid. I did care about my reputation, but not like this. Not bullying, or hurting someone else to help yourself.

"Listen, I really like Sophia. I don't want to hurt her. I know Tobias dated her for months. He broke up with her several weeks ago. I know, I know. I think I'm in love with her." he continued. My chest stopped beating for two seconds. Tony loved Sophia? My ex-girlfriend? My ex-best friend's sister?

It didn't make any sense, at least not to me. I went downstairs to drink a strawberry smoothie Mom had made mainly for herself the day before. She thinks she's good at hiding food. She's not. As I drank it, I thought about the information I'd learned from Tony and David.

I wanted David back, badly. But I couldn't have him, not yet at least. Besides, he had hurt me.

Mom was singing "Snowbird" by Anne Murray. It was breakfast time, and a Saturday. And there was one more week until school let out. I could not wait for it. 

David was slurping Red Bull and watching some funny videos on the TV. I didn't realize I was staring until he looked at me. I was wrong to dump him. Very wrong. I looked at his long blonde hair. My heart pounded. I grabbed a chocolate muffin and looked at him. He looked at me, then turned back to his Red Bull and the television. I looked at his diamond-studded earlobe. He was shirtless, revealing every inch of his slightly-ripped abdomen.

"Melissa Virtman's body was exhumed," Mom told me.

"Why?"

"Because there's new evidence that suggests she was murdered. The car accident was after she was dead."

"Ick. Any suspects?"

"Melissa wasn't well liked, so there's plenty."

"I thought she was pretty nice."

"You only met her once or twice. She was absolutely vicious to people she felt were lower than her. She had a lot of fake friends and rivals."

"Who were her rivals?" I asked.

"Natalie Youti, Hannah Slkric, Carolyn Tearang, among others. Honestly, there's too many to mention."

"Wow. So they're going to question all those people?"

"And her sister."

"Maureen? Blond psycho? Why her?"

"Melissa was absolutely horrid to Maureen, and almost everyone knew it."

"Huh. That's not what Maureen told me."

"She wants people to believe she and Melissa got along perfectly. Melissa exceeded in everything Maureen doesn't. She was much smarter, prettier, more athletic."

"Hmm." That's not what Maureen told me. She didn't say she and her sister hated each other.

"It's not about my repuation!"screeched Maureen. I had confronted her and asked her why she lied to me. "It's about us. Protecting our statuses. You have a lot of potential. Lose the gut and you'd be perfect." she said, stroking my hair. She leaned forward, and tried to kiss me. I pushed her away.

"What the hell? Do you know who I am?"

"I know who you are, and I don't like you that way."

"You are going to regret this. I will make your life miserable."

"Go ahead and try. My life can't get more miserable than this."

"You son of a bitch. First you attract me, then you...." she broke down and buried her head in my chest. "I've always loved you, Tobias. I have always wanted you."

I squirmed away and turned to go. She let go.

"I will ruin your life, Tobias Grass, do you hear me?" she yelled after me as I left. I ignored her and walked the five blocks to my house.

When I arrived I was panting, and desperately needed a refreshing drink. I poured myself a glass of water. I turned around, and Girlfriend had her bowl in her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Girl. I forgot to feed you this morning." She wagged her tail as I filled it up. I set it down on her mat and turned to go. I felt a tug on my pant leg. It was Jazz this time. He grabs pants only if Girlfriend has something he doesn't.

"Tony?"

"What?"

"Did you feed Jazz this morning?"

"Mom did. FYI, Maureen called and wailed, calling you names."

"There's a shocker."

"Dude, she's loved you for years and she's the most popular girl in your grade. Why don't you say yes?"

"Because I don't like her like that. In fact, I don't like her anymore period."

"Dude, she could and will up your reputation. Because of her, girls are flocking towards you, brother."

"Thanks a lot." I told him.

"Bro, I'm serious. She tells everyone you'll eventually be her boyfriend." he explained.

"Oh my effing graciousness."

"Take the Lord's name in vain." he teased.

"Never."

"What kind of Christian are you?"

"Catholic, same as you."

"I'm not....never mind."

Jazz jumped onto Tony's lap. My brother shoved him off. Jazz, really, really likes Tony for some reason. It's weird, because Tony prefers Girlfriend to him. I suppose it's jealousy. We dug up on Jazz's background an learned he was badly abused when he was a puppy. Sadly, two of his siblings died because of it, the rest of the puppies and the mother escaped.

Now his mother and siblings are still strays. We know where they are because Jazz will go straight to them when he takes a walk. We can't take them in though, because they are too aggressive. Mom called ASPCA, but the accursed dogs keep eluding even them.

I went upstairs and booted up my desktop. I had a report on Virginia Woolf to finish, plus I still had Advanced Calculus and Advanced Astronomy. Yes, I'm in two science classes. We have nine classes every day. I know it's